A chiropractor who molested his patients is a “sexual predator and pervert” who would have taken his secret to his grave had it not been for the courage of those he abused to come forward, one of his victims told a judge Monday.

Chiropractor Michael Beaton “used his predatory skills to take advantage of me and others, testing how far he could go and how to further develop skills with his prey,” the now 59-year-old disabled man wrote in a victim impact statement read at Beaton’s sentencing hearing.

Beaton, 77, was convicted earlier this year of two counts of indecent assault on male patients in the late 1970s or early 1980s. He was also found guilty of a third sexual assault of another male patient that occurred in Beaton’s home in 2003.

In the two earliest assaults, Beaton grabbed the genitals of one man and twice touched the genitals of another during chiropractic sessions in his Baseline Road office more than three decades ago.

The victim of the most recent sexual assault — who was asked to strip naked and lie on a bed in Beaton’s home for a treatment that involved Beaton wiggling his hips and then repeatedly brushing his hand against his genitals — said the abuse left him ashamed and humiliated and fearing doctors or other medical professionals.

But Beaton’s lawyer asked the judge to give little or no weight to the victim’s statement after accusing the man of contacting Beaton directly to ask for money in advance of the sentencing hearing.

Richard Auger alleged the victim also contacted his office five times in June and July. On one of the calls, he insisted Beaton’s lawyer contact him before Monday’s hearing. According to Auger, the victim claimed that he had information that could help Beaton.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Douglas Rutherford acknowledged there could be a “sinister implication” in the victim’s urgency to hear back from Beaton or his lawyer before the sentencing hearing where he would give a victim impact statement. However, Rutherford said he’d leave it up to the prosecution to determine if it was a case of “egregiously bad judgment” or something else.

Prosecutor James Cavanagh, who only learned on Monday morning of the victim’s attempts to secure money, suggested it might have been a misguided attempt by the victim to “short circuit” potential civil proceedings by going to Beaton and his lawyer directly.

The victim later explained outside of court that he’s on disability and wanted a $25,000 settlement in exchange for not filing a civil suit.

Cavanagh argued the victim’s decision to approach Beaton made little difference to the Crown’s position that the long time chiropractor should be jailed for 12 to 18 months.

But Auger argued that his client shouldn’t spent a day in a jail but instead receive up to two years of house arrest. Auger said it’s possible Beaton would receive more time now for his historical crimes than he would if he had been sentenced when he committed the offences.

At the time, conditional sentences were an available sentence, Auger said.

“It doesn’t matter if Parliament today thinks that incarceration is the only tool or the greatest tool,” Auger argued.

There was “little or nothing” to be achieved by jailing a 77-year-old man who has voluntarily given up his licence to practise, Auger argued.

“The safety of the public is not at issue,” said Auger.

Cavanagh argued there was evidence Beaton displayed a “thought-out, methodical approach” to his abuse.

“What you have here is a doctor exploring how far he can violate the sexual integrity of his patient before he is going to be stopped, under the guise of medical treatment,” said Cavanagh of one conviction.

Another patient “had to draw the line on his own doctor’s molestations,” argued Cavanagh. “This is a shocking breach of his duties, responsibilities and power as a medical profession.”